Embassies under fire as demos are staged around world

ATHENS Riot police fired stun grenades and tear gas to repel a crowd of 300 Arab and Greek protesters throwing rocks at the Israeli embassy. More than 3,000 protesters later surrounded the embassy burning Israeli flags and chanting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans.

BERLIN Two thousand protesters marched through a shopping district waving Palestinian flags and banners demanding an end to the bombings and the economic blockade of Gaza in a largely peaceful demonstration. Germany has blamed Hamas for the escalation of violence and called on Israel to avoid civilian casualties. Chancellor Angela Merkel called for Hamas to halt its rocket attacks and has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to urge caution against excessive force.

BEIRUT Tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters packed the Lebanese capital in the largest anti-Israeli protest across the globe. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah urged the Arab world to rise up in support of Gaza as the crowd chanted "Death to Israel and America".

CAIRO Thousands of Egyptians protested in condemnation of its government's closure of the Gaza border. More than 4,000 people demonstrated outside the parliament building in Cairo at the Egyptian military's actions in preventing fleeing Palestinians from crossing the border.

KHARTOUM Protesters marched to the Egyptian embassy calling for an opening of the Egyptian-Gaza border to allow food and medicine to reach the Palestinians.

BAGHDAD Followers of anti-American Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr staged a protest in Najaf. They shouted "No, no to Israel," as they burned Israeli and American flags. The political party of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issued a statement condemning the attacks.